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RFE/RL Newsline, 08-05-07
CONTENTS
[01] MEDVEDEV TAKES OATH AS RUSSIAN PRESIDENT
[02] ANALYSTS CONTINUE PONDERING NEW POWER STRUCTURE
[03] PUBLIC SEEMS SURE PUTIN WILL REMAIN IN CHARGE
[04] PUTIN SIGNS LAW EXPANDING LIST OF 'STRATEGIC SECTORS'
[05] WESTERN ANALYSTS ANTICIPATE STRONGER RUBLE
[06] RUSSIA, U.S. SIGN LONG-AWAITED CIVILIAN NUCLEAR PACT...
[07] ...BUT DEAL FACES OPPOSITION IN U.S. CONGRESS
[08] GORBACHEV SLAMS U.S. IN INTERVIEW
[09] U.S. CALLS ON RUSSIA TO REVERSE MOVES AGAINST GEORGIA
[10] CHECHEN INVESTIGATOR KILLED IN TRAFFIC ACCIDENT
[11] ARMENIAN PRESIDENTIAL AIDE SAYS OPPOSITION SHARES BLAME FOR
VIOLENCE
[12] ARMENIAN, AZERBAIJANI FOREIGN MINISTERS MEET
[13] MINISTER SAYS GEORGIA 'VERY CLOSE' TO WAR IN ABKHAZIA
[14] KAZAKH SOLDIERS HOSPITALIZED FOR FOOD POISONING
[15] KAZAKH POLICE ARREST ALLEGED UZBEK SUICIDE BOMBER
[16] KAZAKH FOREIGN MINISTER IN MOSCOW TO PREPARE FOR NEW RUSSIAN
PRESIDENT'S VISIT
[17] U.S. NGO CLOSES OFFICE IN TAJIKISTAN AFTER FAILING TO SECURE
REGISTRATION
[18] EU CALLS ON BELARUS TO NORMALIZE RELATIONS WITH WASHINGTON...
[19] ...AS U.S. LINKS SANCTIONS TO POLITICAL PRISONERS
[20] UKRAINE SAYS TORPEDO INCIDENT WON'T HARM RELATIONS WITH RUSSIAN
FLEET
[21] POLL: TWO-THIRDS OF UKRAINIANS SEE HIGH TENSIONS IN GOVERNMENT
[22] SERBS TO RECEIVE SCHENGEN VISAS FREE OF CHARGE
[23] BOSNIA 'VULNERABLE' TO TERRORISM, SAYS U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT
[24] U.S. OFFICIAL SAYS IRAN SEEKS TO KEEP AFGHANISTAN UNSTABLE
[25] U.S. TROOPS KILL SEVERAL MILITANTS IN EASTERN AFGHANISTAN
[26] AFGHAN GOVERNOR PROMISES TOTAL ERADICATION OF OPIUM CROP
[27] PAKISTAN TO SEND WHEAT TO AFGHANISTAN
[28] ENVOY SAYS IRAN COMMITTED TO NUCLEAR TREATY
[29] IRANIAN LAWMAKERS PROTEST EX-PRESIDENT'S MODERATE REMARKS...
[30] ...AND PREPARE TO QUESTION TRADE MINISTER
[31] LAWMAKER URGES THRIFT ON IRANIANS
[32] LAWMAKER SAYS MUQTADA AL-SADR IS IN IRAQ
[33] IRAQI LAWMAKER TEMPORARILY LEAVES POST
[34] SENIOR AL-MAHDI ARMY COMMANDER REPORTEDLY KILLED IN IRAQ
[35] THERE IS NO END NOTE TODAY.
Wednesday, May 7, 2008 Volume 12 Number 86
Russia
[01] MEDVEDEV TAKES OATH AS RUSSIAN PRESIDENT
Dmitry Medvedev, in a lavish Kremlin ceremony on May 7, took the oath
of office and officially became the third elected president of the
Russian Federation, Russian and international media reported. In a
speech before the handover, outgoing President Vladimir Putin thanked
the Russian people for their support over the last eight years and
urged them to support Medvedev. Putin also promised to continue serving
the interests of Russia for the rest of his life. In his speech,
Medvedev again emphasized the need to overcome "legal nihilism" and to
build a state in which the rights of citizens are "not only guaranteed
by the constitution, but in reality observed by the government." He
called on all public forces to assist in strengthening civil society
and the rule of law. In line with the constitutional requirement, the
government of Prime Minister Viktor Zubkov resigned as soon as Medvedev
took the oath office; Zubkov will remain acting prime minister until
the Duma confirms a successor. Medvedev's first move was to nominate
Putin to become the next head of government, and the Duma is expected
to hold an extraordinary session to confirm him on May 8. "Vedomosti"
reported on May 6 that the Communist Party has confirmed it will vote
against confirming Putin. At the moment of Medvedev's ascendancy, Putin
automatically became head of the pro-Kremlin Unified Russia party,
party official Andrei Vorobyov was quoted as saying (see "RFE/RL
Newsline," April 15, 2008). RC
[02] ANALYSTS CONTINUE PONDERING NEW POWER STRUCTURE
"Vremya novostei" on May 7 asked leading political analysts to comment
on the situation following the end of President Putin's term of office.
"Under Vladimir Putin, the presidential administration and the
government were essentially one mechanism," Center for Political
Technologies Deputy Director Boris Makarenko said. "Now, of course, the
government with Putin at its head will be stronger than the cabinet of
[Mikhail] Fradkov or Zubkov.... For this there is no need to change the
constitution -- it is sufficiently flexible." INDEM think tank Director
Georgy Satarov noted that the political expansion of the presidential
administration over the last eight years was way beyond the scope of
the constitution. "In reality, the parliament was destroyed as an
independent branch of power," he noted. "And the courts as an
independent institution. And this was done without any changes to the
constitution." Most of the analysts questioned agreed that it is likely
that the presidential term of office will be extended to five or seven
years and that it is quite likely that Putin will return to the
presidency at the next election, either in 2012 or earlier. RC
[03] PUBLIC SEEMS SURE PUTIN WILL REMAIN IN CHARGE
A poll by the Levada Center has found that 67 percent of Russians
believe President Medvedev will "act under the control" of Putin and
his inner circle, "Vedomosti" reported on May 6. When Russians were
asked who should have power, 47 percent answered Medvedev; but when
they were asked who they think will have real power in the country,
only 22 percent said Medvedev. RC
[04] PUTIN SIGNS LAW EXPANDING LIST OF 'STRATEGIC SECTORS'
In one of his last acts as president, Putin on May 6 signed into law a
measure that limits the access of foreign investors to 42 so-called
strategic sectors of the economy, newsru.com reported on May 7. The
protected sectors include energy, telecommunications, mining,
aerospace, and the mass media. The text of the new law was published in
"Rossiiskaya gazeta" on May 7. Foreign investors will have to receive
permission from a special government commission to purchase blocking
stakes (more than 25 percent) in companies in the designated sectors.
The commission is chaired by the prime minister. Foreign investors
seeking to acquire control (more than 50 percent) of an enterprise will
similarly need government permission. The new measure does not affect
existing stakes or deals that are regulated by international
agreements. Analyst Christopher Weafer told the "Financial Times" on
May 7 that the expansion of the list of strategic sectors from 16 to 42
is the result of intense lobbying by Russian firms. Protected by the
state, these firms will have less incentive to modernize and become
more efficient, Weafer said. RC
[05] WESTERN ANALYSTS ANTICIPATE STRONGER RUBLE
Analysts from three leading Western investment firms are predicting
that the Russian government will move to strengthen the ruble in the
next six months, "RBK Daily" and "Vremya novostei" reported on May 6,
citing a report by Bloomberg. The analysts from Merrill Lynch, Goldman
Sachs, and Deutsche Bank believe the ruble is seriously undervalued and
that the government will strengthen it by 2 percent in the next three
months and another 2 percent in the following three months. With
inflation running at some 13 percent (see "RFE/RL Newsline," May 5,
2008), the analysts argue the government will have to bolster the ruble
as an anti-inflationary measure. Merrill Lynch said the real value of
the ruble should be 17.92 to the U.S. dollar. The current exchange rate
is 23.7 rubles to the dollar. RC
[06] RUSSIA, U.S. SIGN LONG-AWAITED CIVILIAN NUCLEAR PACT...
The director-general of the Russian state-owned nuclear power monopoly
Rosatom, Sergei Kiriyenko, and U.S. Ambassador to Russia William Burns
signed a civilian-nuclear-cooperation agreement in Moscow on May 6,
President Putin's last full day in office. "The United States and
Russia were once nuclear rivals," Interfax on May 6 quoted Burns as
saying after the signing ceremony. "Now we are partners." Kommersant.ru
on May 6 quoted Kiriyenko as saying that the agreement opens "huge
opportunities for cooperation...in creating conditions for the
large-scale development of atomic energy under a toughened
nonproliferation regime." "The Moscow Times" on May 7 quoted the U.S.
Embassy in Moscow as saying that the agreement will give the two
countries "a framework to develop nuclear energy for peaceful purposes
and to advance nuclear energy worldwide, while enhancing our joint
leadership in preventing nuclear proliferation." The paper noted that
the deal establishes the legal basis for Russian and U.S. companies to
trade in nuclear materials and could also give the United States access
to Russian technology and hand Russia lucrative contracts to store
spent nuclear fuel. "The Moscow Times" on May 7 quoted Rosatom
spokesman Sergei Novikov as saying that the deal was signed before
Medvedev was sworn in as president because the two sides "did not want
to postpone this agreement any further, to leave it for another
administration." Novikov added, "We waited 20 years for it." As
Interfax noted on May 6, the agreement was the subject of 20 years of
negotiations that finally moved off dead center at the Group of Eight
summit in St. Petersburg in July 2006, during which Presidents George
W. Bush and Putin agreed to increase nuclear cooperation. JB
[07] ...BUT DEAL FACES OPPOSITION IN U.S. CONGRESS
Ultimate approval of the U.S.-Russia civilian-nuclear-power agreement
is not a certainty, given that President Bush must now send the
agreement to the U.S. Congress, which will have 90 days to block it and
where it faces opposition. AP reported on May 6 that Senators Norm
Coleman (Republican, Minnesota) and Evan Bayh (Democrat, Indiana) are
circulating a letter urging Bush not to send the pact to Congress. The
news agency quoted Coleman as saying: "I am very disappointed by the
administration's insistence on moving forward to sign a
nuclear-cooperation arrangement with the Russians. Particularly at a
time when Russia's actively undermining our foreign policy on various
fronts, most importantly with respect to Iran." AP quoted Bayh as
saying: "U.S.-Russian nuclear cooperation is important, but stopping
Iran from gaining the capacity to make nuclear weapons is an even
higher priority. Russia is not doing all it can to curb Tehran's
nuclear ambitions, and we need to use all tools at our disposal to get
more cooperation from Moscow." According to AP, both senators say
Russia's exports of nuclear fuel to Iran's Bushehr nuclear power plant
and opposition to UN sanctions against Iran make the agreement with
Russia suspect. As "Vremya novostei" noted on May 7, the agreement must
also be approved by the State Duma. JB
[08] GORBACHEV SLAMS U.S. IN INTERVIEW
In an interview with "The Daily Telegraph" published on May 7, former
Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev charged that the United States is
deliberately quashing hopes for permanent peace with Russia. "We had 10
years after the Cold War to build a new world order and yet we
squandered them," the British daily quoted Gorbachev as saying. "The
United States cannot tolerate anyone acting independently. Every U.S.
president has to have a war." Gorbachev said the "problem" is "not with
Russia." "Russia does not have enemies and Putin is not going to start
a war against the United States or any other country for that matter,"
he said. "Yet we see the United States approving a military budget and
the defense secretary pledging to strengthen conventional forces
because of the possibility of a war with China or Russia. I sometimes
have a feeling that the United States is going to wage war against the
entire world." Gorbachev denounced U.S. plans to build a
missile-defense shield in Poland and the Czech Republic to counter a
potential nuclear strike by Iran, calling it "a very dangerous step"
that is "taking the arms race to the next level." He also condemned
NATO's promise of eventual membership for Georgia and Ukraine. "The
Americans promised that NATO wouldn't move beyond the boundaries of
Germany after the Cold War but now half of Central and Eastern Europe
are members, so what happened to their promises?" he asked. "It shows
they cannot be trusted." According to "The Daily Telegraph," Gorbachev
"often sounded like the ageing hard-liners he struggled against in the
Kremlin during the 1980s" in the interview, railing against a
"military-industrial complex" that he insisted is the "real government"
of the United States. The paper reported that Gorbachev, "quoting a
Russian documentary on state television, suggested that Margaret
Thatcher had supplied weapons to Chechen terrorists." He also rejected
charges that President Putin overturned democracy in Russia. "I do not
think that glasnost is dead in Russia," Gorbachev said. "There is a
phenomenon in the West to criticize Putin's domestic record. But in
Russia he has mass support. His popularity ratings are 70 to 80
percent. Is this not democracy?" JB
[09] U.S. CALLS ON RUSSIA TO REVERSE MOVES AGAINST GEORGIA
Speaking at a press briefing in Washington on May 6, White House
spokeswoman Dana Perino said the United States has repeatedly called on
Russia to "de-escalate and reverse" recent "provocative" moves that
threaten Georgia's territorial integrity and reiterate its commitment
to Georgia's territorial integrity and sovereignty. She said those
moves have "significantly and unnecessarily heightened tensions in the
region." At the same time, Perino said the United States has warned
Georgia not to embark on any military action, but to "pursue a peaceful
solution" to its conflicts with the breakaway republics of Abkhazia and
South Ossetia. LF
[10] CHECHEN INVESTIGATOR KILLED IN TRAFFIC ACCIDENT
Kazbek Tavbulatov, who has been investigating the discovery on May 4 of
a grave containing six bodies near the town of Gudermes, died in a
traffic accident in Gudermes on May 6, kavkaz-uzel.ru reported. Chechen
authorities believe that the bodies in the grave may have been victims
killed by members of the Vostok battalion subordinate to the Russian
Defense Ministry. The daily "Kommersant" reported in its May 6 edition
that local police were alerted to the grave by a former Vostok
serviceman who left the unit following a shooting incident in Gudermes
last month between Vostok personnel and bodyguards for Chechen Republic
head Ramzan Kadyrov (see "RFE/RL Newsline," April 15, 16, 18, and 21,
2008). A seventh body discovered on May 6 elsewhere on the outskirts of
Gudermes is believed to be that of a member of the Vostok battalion,
kavkaz-uzel.ru reported, without giving any details of how or when the
victim died. LF
Transcaucasia And Central Asia
[11] ARMENIAN PRESIDENTIAL AIDE SAYS OPPOSITION SHARES BLAME FOR
VIOLENCE
Presidential national-security adviser Garnik Isagulian told
journalists in Yerevan on May 6 that opposition groups that supported
the failed presidential bid by former President Levon Ter-Petrossian
bear a share of the responsibility for the postelection violence on
March 1-2 in which 10 people died, RFE/RL's Armenian Service. Referring
to the violence as "a great tragedy," he said he considers it
inappropriate "to look for the guilty," thereby implicitly rejecting
the demand by the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe for
an "independent, transparent and credible inquiry" into the clashes
(see "RFE/RL Newsline," April 18 and 28, 2008). Isagulian said
President Serzh Sarkisian's impending decision to establish a
consultative "public chamber" on which prominent public figures and
opposition politicians will be represented will facilitate the urgently
needed dialogue between the authorities and the opposition. Also on May
6, parliament speaker Tigran Torosian announced the establishment of an
ad hoc parliament commission to assess international criticism of
recent elections and propose ways of eliminating violations during
future ballots, including amendments to current election legislation,
RFE/RL's Armenian Service reported. Former Justice Minister David
Harutiunian, who now chairs the parliament committee on legal affairs,
will head that commission, on which all parliamentary parties will be
represented; other political parties and NGOs will be invited to join
the commission without the right to vote on its decisions. Meanwhile,
staff of the Special Investigation Group within the Armenian
Prosecutor-General's Office conducted a search of Yerevan headquarters
of the opposition Fatherland and Honor party late on May 6 and
confiscated two computers and all written records, kavkaz-uzel.ru
reported. LF
[12] ARMENIAN, AZERBAIJANI FOREIGN MINISTERS MEET
Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov met for the first time
late on May 6 in Strasbourg on the sidelines of a meeting of Council of
Europe foreign ministers with Eduard Nalbandian, who was named last
month to succeed Vartan Oskanian as Armenian foreign minister, the
Armenian Foreign Ministry announced. Both ministers subsequently
described their talk as constructive, and reaffirmed their countries'
commitment to seeking a peaceful solution to the Karabakh conflict.
Nalbandian professed to be optimistic, saying that "the most important
thing is that we reached agreement on continuing talks." At the same
time, he stressed the need to create an atmosphere of trust between the
two sides. Mammadyarov said they will propose a meeting in June between
the two countries' respective presidents. The two foreign ministers
also met separately earlier on May 6 with the French, Russian, and U.S.
co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group tasked with mediating a solution to
the conflict. LF
[13] MINISTER SAYS GEORGIA 'VERY CLOSE' TO WAR IN ABKHAZIA
Speaking in Brussels on May 6, Georgian State Minister for
Reintegration Temur Iakobashvili told journalists that as a result of
the deployment of additional Russian troops to Abkhazia, Georgia is
"very close to a war" that it is trying to avert, Caucasus Press
reported. On May 1, Iakobashvili was quoted as saying in Tbilisi "there
will be no war," and as giving the number of additional Russian troops
sent to Abkhazia as 700 (see "RFE/RL Newsline," May 2, 2008). The
additional Russian contingent includes over 400 paratroopers armed with
artillery and antiaircraft defense systems, newsru.com reported on May
6. Iakobashvili also said on May 6 that the Georgian leadership has
asked the EU to assume a more active role in reducing tensions, and
formally requested the dispatch of an EU contingent to participate in
policing the conflict zone, but that the EU has not yet taken any
decision on doing so. LF
[14] KAZAKH SOLDIERS HOSPITALIZED FOR FOOD POISONING
A group of over five dozen Kazakh soldiers were stricken on May 5 with
food poisoning after eating contaminated food in a military mess hall
in Astana, Interfax-Kazakhstan reported. According to an official of
the Emergency Situations Ministry, the 67 servicemen were under close
medical supervision but were reported to be in satisfactory condition.
The exact cause of the food poisoning is still being investigated,
although initial reports said that some food stocks were improperly
stored at the military facility, resulting in spoiling. Kazakh
President Nursultan Nazarbaev visited the same military base in Astana
on May 6 in an unrelated inspection of new weapons systems, "Kazakhstan
Today" reported. The president, along with the visiting Azerbaijani and
Kyrgyz defense ministers, Colonel General Safar Abiyev and Ismail
Isakov, respectively, attended a demonstration of the Kazakh Army's
recently modernized equipment, including T-72B tanks, armored personnel
vehicles, and the Aybat, Nayza, and Semser artillery systems. Nazarbaev
also inspected the newly introduced computerized logistical and
personnel-management system. Military attaches representing some 20
countries also attended the demonstration as observers. RG
[15] KAZAKH POLICE ARREST ALLEGED UZBEK SUICIDE BOMBER
Kalibek Yelshibekov, the deputy police chief in the town of Semey in
the East Kazakhstan Oblast, announced on May 5 that Kazakh police have
arrested an Uzbek citizen whom they suspected of being a potential
suicide bomber, Kazakh Television reported. The unidentified man was
said to be wearing in a belt laden with live explosives and was
arrested after being stopped by police in a routine traffic check.
Munitions experts from an engineering regiment stationed at a local
army garrison successfully defused the explosives. Police officials
later reported that the Uzbek man has been working in Kazakhstan for
the past three years and they are as yet unable to determine his
motives or his intended target for the bombing. He was arrested along
with the two other occupants of the car, his son and a 20-year old
woman. RG
[16] KAZAKH FOREIGN MINISTER IN MOSCOW TO PREPARE FOR NEW RUSSIAN
PRESIDENT'S VISIT
In Moscow on an official visit, Foreign Minister Marat Tazhin met on
May 6 with his Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov, to prepare the
details of the planned visit to Kazakhstan by new Russian President
Dmitry Medvedev, according to ITAR-TASS. At a joint press conference
following the meeting, Tazhin explained that Medvedev's visit will
focus on "issues of energy policy" as well as "transportation issues
and security problems," while Lavrov added that the visit is a
reflection of the significance of the "strategic partnership" between
Kazakhstan and Russia. RG
[17] U.S. NGO CLOSES OFFICE IN TAJIKISTAN AFTER FAILING TO SECURE
REGISTRATION
In a statement released by its office in Dushanbe, the U.S. National
Democratic Institute (NDI) announced on May 6 that it has been forced
to close its office in Tajikistan after being denied official
registration by the Tajik authorities, according to the Avesta news
agency. NDI will also suspend all programs and activities in the
country in an apparent protest over the government's refusal to approve
the organization's documents submitted for reregistration, as required
by law. In the statement, former U.S. Secretary of State Madeline
Albright, who serves as the chairwoman of the NDI board of directors,
appealed to the Tajik authorities to reconsider, stating that "the
registration of the NDI in Tajikistan will become a positive sign of
the Tajik government's readiness to fulfill its commitments with regard
to international cooperation." For his part, NDI President Kenneth
Wollack expressed concern and stated that "we are very sorry that the
government of Tajikistan does not want to learn experience in reform of
other countries." The statement noted that NDI has been active in
Tajikistan since 2002 and as Wollack stressed, "highly rates its
relations with civil groups and parties across the whole of the
political spectrum of Tajikistan." "We are looking forward to resuming
programs with our partners," he added. NDI operates throughout Central
Asia and maintains offices in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan.
RG
Eastern Europe
[18] EU CALLS ON BELARUS TO NORMALIZE RELATIONS WITH WASHINGTON...
Slovenia, which currently holds the rotating EU Presidency, on May 6
issued a statement expressing its regret over Minsk's recent move to
declare 10 U.S. diplomats persona non grata (see "RFE/RL Newsline," May
5, 2008), the EU Presidency's website (http://www.eu2008.si) reported.
"Such a measure is unjustified and harmful to the interests of the
people of Belarus," the statement reads. "The presidency would like to
express its solidarity with the United States and its diplomatic
service. It calls on the government of Belarus to reconsider its
decision and to take immediate steps allowing for a normalization of
the relationship between Belarus and the United States on the basis of
mutually beneficial cooperation." JM
[19] ...AS U.S. LINKS SANCTIONS TO POLITICAL PRISONERS
David Merkel, the U.S. deputy assistant secretary of state for European
and Eurasian Affairs, has said that if the Belarusian authorities make
positive steps on human rights, in particular allowing peaceful
demonstrations, and release former presidential candidate Alyaksandr
Kazulin and two other recently imprisoned opponents, Washington will
"talk to them" about lifting sanctions against the Belarusian State
Petrochemical Industry Concern (Belnaftakhim), Belapan reported on May
6. Merkel said the Belarusian government is seeking the abolition of
the U.S. sanctions as a condition for a return to normal operations at
the U.S. Embassy in Minsk, where only four U.S. diplomats are now
working. But Merkel stressed that "these are separate issues; the
sanctions are tied to human rights and political prisoners." In
November 2007, the U.S. Treasury Department announced that any assets
that belong to Belnaftakhim in the United States should be frozen. The
resulting sanctions also barred U.S. citizens from doing business with
Belnaftakhim and its subsidiaries. JM
[20] UKRAINE SAYS TORPEDO INCIDENT WON'T HARM RELATIONS WITH RUSSIAN
FLEET
The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry, which sent a formal note of protest on
May 6 over an airborne antisubmarine torpedo of the Russian Black Sea
Fleet found in Crimea last month (see "RFE/RL Newsline," May 6, 2008),
said later the same day that the incident will not change Kyiv's
attitude to the fleet, Interfax-Ukraine reported. "The incident
involving the missile cannot provide a pretext for considering the
Black Sea Fleet's early withdrawal," Ukrainian Foreign Ministry
spokesman Vasyl Kyrylych told journalists. He added that Ukraine has
strictly complied with a bilateral agreement "which says in clear terms
that the Black Sea Fleet will remain based [in Crimea] until 2017."
Meanwhile, the Russian Navy's command commented on May 6 that the
object found in Crimea was not really a weapon, but rather a dummy
torpedo, which does not pose any threat to people or the environment.
There has been no explanation of how the Russian torpedo landed on the
Crimean beach. JM
[21] POLL: TWO-THIRDS OF UKRAINIANS SEE HIGH TENSIONS IN GOVERNMENT
A survey conducted by the pollster FOM-Ukraine has found that 66.8
percent of respondents say the relations between President Viktor
Yushchenko and Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko are "conflicting" or
"strained," while 16.4 percent say they are "calm" or "friendly,"
Interfax-Ukraine reported on May 6. The poll of 2,000 Ukrainians found
that Yushchenko's performance is seen negatively by 51.4 percent of
respondents, while Tymoshenko's performance is viewed negatively by
49.9 percent. According to FOM-Ukraine, if presidential elections had
been held in April, Tymoshenko would have won 23.7 percent of the vote,
former Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych 21.2 percent, and Yushchenko 8
percent. JM
Southeastern Europe
[22] SERBS TO RECEIVE SCHENGEN VISAS FREE OF CHARGE
Sixteen EU member states plus Norway are to offer visas to most Serbian
citizens free of charge, the French government announced on May 6, just
days before early parliamentary elections in Serbia on May 11 that may
decide the country's future relations with Brussels, local media
reported. The bulk of the 17 countries are members of the EU's Schengen
zone, which has no internal border controls, and a visa to any one
Schengen state normally entitles the holder to unimpeded travel within
the zone. Currently, the standard fee for a Schengen visa is 35 euros
($54), but observers say that the fee is the least significant hurdle
for most visa applicants. The EU's commissioner for justice and home
affairs, Jacques Barrot, is to travel to Belgrade on May 6-7 to discuss
a road map for talks aimed at abolishing the visa requirements
altogether. Visa-liberalization talks with other countries of the
western Balkans are under way or scheduled to commence soon. TV
[23] BOSNIA 'VULNERABLE' TO TERRORISM, SAYS U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT
In its annual report to Congress on terrorism around the world, the
U.S. State Department describes Bosnia-Herzegovina as a "weak,
decentralized state" in which "ethnically based political
confrontations continued to undermine national government" in 2007.
Issued on April 30, the report continued, "As a result of weak
interagency communication, competing security structures, and political
interference in law enforcement, Bosnia is vulnerable to exploitation
as a potential staging ground for terrorist operations in Europe. The
dysfunctional Bosnian state government and efforts by Republika Srpska
officials to undermine state-level institutions contributed to a
slowdown, and in some cases, setbacks in efforts to improve operational
capabilities to combat terrorism and terrorism finance." However, the
report -- which devotes just six paragraphs to Bosnia -- also
acknowledged that Bosnia's law enforcement bodies cooperated with U.S.
counterterrorism efforts and noted Bosnia's deployment in Iraq and
ongoing training to prepare its troops for further missions in Iraq or
Afghanistan. Republika Srpska Prime Minister Milorad Dodik has rejected
the report's criticism, according to the Banja Luka daily "Nezavisne
novine" on May 3, saying it is the central institutions that undermine
the entities and that Bosnia's internal organization is a matter for
its citizens. TV
Southwestern Asia And The Middle East
[24] U.S. OFFICIAL SAYS IRAN SEEKS TO KEEP AFGHANISTAN UNSTABLE
Richard Boucher, the U.S. assistant secretary of state for South and
Central Asia, said in Paris on May 6 that Iran is seeking to keep
Afghanistan weak and unstable by delivering arms to the Taliban while
appearing to support the government in Kabul, AFP reported. "They
interfere in a variety of different ways, perhaps not as violently as
they do sometimes in Iraq," Boucher said. "But what we see is Iranian
interference politically, Iranian interference in terms of the money
that they channel into the political process, Iranian interference in
terms of playing off local officials against central government, trying
to undermine the state in that way." Boucher continued: "In many ways
they [Iran] do support the work of the government, but they also work
with the political opposition, they work with the local opposition."
Boucher told reporters that "several shipments" of weapons from Iran to
the Taliban have been intercepted. Preparations are under way for a
major international donors' conference for Afghanistan to be held in
the French capital on June 12. AT
[25] U.S. TROOPS KILL SEVERAL MILITANTS IN EASTERN AFGHANISTAN
U.S.-led coalition troops killed several insurgents during a raid in
Nangahar Province on May 5, AP reported. The troops also detained a
militant suspected of helping foreign fighters and conducting bomb
attacks in the region, according to a military statement. The coalition
did not state the exact numbers of militants killed. In Kandahar on May
6, three police officers and two civilian women were wounded when a
bomb attached to a bicycle exploded near the officers' car, provincial
police official Mohammad Shoaib told AP. According to the news agency's
count, more than 1,200 people -- mostly militants -- have died in
insurgency-related violence in Afghanistan this year. AT
[26] AFGHAN GOVERNOR PROMISES TOTAL ERADICATION OF OPIUM CROP
Government officials in Badakhshan Province, one of the major
opium-poppy-producing regions in Afghanistan, have said that poppy
cultivation in the province will be totally eradicated by the start of
next year, the Bakhtar news agency reported on May 6. Badakhshan
Governor Munshi Abdul Majid said that poppy cultivation decreased 70
percent last year, and that farmers in the district of Darayim, which
was formerly a main hub of poppy cultivation and trafficking, have
completely stopped growing the crop. "This year we don't have plans for
wiping out poppy cultivation, but we have plans for not cultivating
poppy. We have informed everyone not to cultivate poppy. We have
decreased poppy cultivation to almost zero," Majid said. Some residents
believe that poppy cultivation was the main reason for insecurity and
the slow pace of development in Darayim district, but others have been
hit hard by the loss of their livelihood. Bakhtar quotes one resident
as saying: "Our poppy fields were destroyed by the authorities. Now we
have no money and my 10 family members are starving." Other residents
in the district said government and NGO support does not suffice, and
that farmers may start growing poppies again unless serious
reconstruction work begins. AT
[27] PAKISTAN TO SEND WHEAT TO AFGHANISTAN
Pakistan agreed on May 6 to export 50,000 tons of wheat to Afghanistan
to avert a food crisis there, and said it will reach an agreement on
further exports with the Afghan government, Reuters reported.
Pakistan's highest economic decision-making body, the Economic
Coordination Committee (ECC), approved the export to Afghanistan at a
meeting chaired by Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani. "The ECC approved
the export of 50,000 tones of wheat to Afghanistan to avert a food
crisis in addition to their annual requirement," a previously agreed
export of 600,000 tons, the prime minister's office said in a
statement. Pakistan has sought to crack down on the smuggling of wheat
flour to Afghanistan as food prices there have surged. AT
[28] ENVOY SAYS IRAN COMMITTED TO NUCLEAR TREATY
Iran's envoy to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Ali
Asghar Soltanieh, said in Geneva on May 6 that Iran will continue to
cooperate with the IAEA and abide by the provisions of the Nuclear
Nonproliferation Treaty (NPT), but will not surrender its right under
the treaty to produce nuclear fuel, Fars news agency reported.
Soltanieh was addressing a preliminary committee for a conference to
review the NPT. He said that "Iran will never forego its right" to use
peaceful energy, which he said includes producing fuel. The West has
demanded Iran stop enriching uranium, due to its potential military
applications. Soltanieh's remarks appear to confirm statements made by
Iranian officials recently indicating Iran will not to be persuaded to
abandon such activities by economic and other incentives being proposed
by the permanent members of the UN Security Council (see "RFE/RL
Newsline," May 5 and 6, 2008). Soltanieh denounced the "nuclear
apartheid" imposed on the world, "especially" by Great Britain, France,
and the United States, and said it is wrong to equate nuclear programs
with efforts to acquire nuclear weapons. He said the NPT and the IAEA's
charter do not prohibit fuel-making activities for members, but merely
oblige states to make statements on their activities that have to be
verified. He added Iran and other "peace-loving states" will continue
efforts to force Israel -- which is thought to have nuclear weapons --
to join the NPT and give up its nuclear arsenal. VS
[29] IRANIAN LAWMAKERS PROTEST EX-PRESIDENT'S MODERATE REMARKS...
A group of 77 members of parliament on May 6 called on Iran's
intelligence minister to take unspecified action against former
President Mohammad Khatami for his recent remarks criticizing terrorism
and state-sponsored violence, Radio Farda reported, citing Iranian news
agencies (see "RFE/RL Newsline," May 5, 2008). Khatami told students in
Gilan, northern Iran, on May 2, that the legacy of late revolutionary
leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini does not include acts of violence
abroad in an attempt to export Iran's revolutionary regime. The 77
lawmakers said in a parliamentary observation -- likely a written note
-- that such remarks will be used by "the arrogant and Zionist media"
as a pretext to attack "the sacred government of the Islamic republic
and accuse our country of terrorism," Fars reported. The legislators
asked how Khatami gave himself permission to cast "doubts in the minds
of international opinion" about Iran's regime. Radio Farda observed
that the note should,, in line with parliamentary rules, be read out at
a public session of parliament on May 7. Other conservative voices
chided Khatami for his comments in recent days, including the daily
"Kayhan," which has called on Khatami to "explain his antinational
statements," Radio Farda reported on May 6. VS
[30] ...AND PREPARE TO QUESTION TRADE MINISTER
The Iranian parliament's presidium formally accepted on May 6 an
interpellation motion presented by 16 lawmakers to summon Trade
Minister Masud Mirkazemi to appear in parliament to answer questions,
which could lead to his dismissal, Radio Farda reported on May 6,
citing Iranian media. The signatories want Mirkazemi to provide the
chamber with explanations on eight areas, including what were termed
unsuitable trade policies; permission given for the importation of
sugar in recent years, which has gravely harmed domestic producers and
farmers; and the failure to support domestic manufacturing firms. Some
members of parliament have accused the ministry of failing to take
adequate measures in response to recent food price hikes. One of the
signatories, Ali Asgari, has said that "nobody is responsible in this
country for high prices, and people have to buy goods at whatever price
they are sold, and nobody answers for this." Another signatory,
Heshmatollah Falahatpisheh, said ministers would not be summoned to
parliament for formal interrogation if they acted on legislators'
intermittent proposals and criticisms, Radio Farda reported. VS
[31] LAWMAKER URGES THRIFT ON IRANIANS
Parliament speaker Gholam Ali Haddad-Adel urged Iranians to save water
and electricity, and he warned in parliament on May 6 that Iran will
face a drought in coming months, ISNA reported. Haddad-Adel said Iran
experienced a harsh winter and now faces drought, and thrift is both
rational and a moral duty for Iranians. He said drought is afflicting
not only Iran, but "the climate has been disrupted" and many countries
are facing similar conditions. While he speculated that Iran's drought
might not be the result of changing climatic conditions, he said that
"the alarm bells are at any rate sounding over the threat of food
shortages around the world." He said Iranian officials have recently
asked the public to reduce their water consumption by 10 percent, and
he said the same should apply to electricity. Haddad-Adel said the
government has begun forming provincial committees or headquarters to
counter the drought's effects. Separately, a member of parliament's
Agriculture Committee, Jafargholi Raheb, told ISNA on May 5 that some
120 Iranian towns and 6,000 villages or rural districts may face
drinking-water shortages in coming months due to insufficient rainfall.
He said excessive heat in the months of March and April has dried up
the precipitations of previous months. Raheb said provincial governors
in northern provinces -- an area of rice and fruit cultivation -- have
already formed emergency headquarters to manage water resources. VS
[32] LAWMAKER SAYS MUQTADA AL-SADR IS IN IRAQ
Al-Sadr Trend parliamentarian Nasir al-Sa'idi told the Aswat Al-Iraq
website on May 7 that Shi'ite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr is in Iraq.
Al-Sadr reportedly left Iraq months ago and was rumored to be studying
in Iran under the patronage of the government. "Sayyid Muqtada al-Sadr
is at his office in the holy city of Al-Najaf, and any other news in
this regard is not true," al-Sa'idi said. Al-Sa'idi also told the
website that the Al-Sadr Trend hopes that Iraqi President Jalal
Talabani will help mediate the crisis between the Sadrists and the
government, saying, "We trust the president of the republic and we
prefer him to mediate." KR
[33] IRAQI LAWMAKER TEMPORARILY LEAVES POST
Al-Sadr Trend lawmaker Hasan al-Rubay'i announced on May 6 that he is
suspending his position in parliament in protest against the U.S. and
Iraqi crackdown on the Imam Al-Mahdi Army in Al-Sadr City, Al-Sharqiyah
television reported. Al-Rubay'i claimed that Iran controls 75 percent
of the security services in Iraq, and that the Al-Sadr Trend is its
main target. Meanwhile on May 6, the Iraqi army arrested 42 policemen
in Baghdad for their alleged role in aiding militiamen. Leaders in
parliament are reportedly calling for the formation of a committee
comprising members of security and human rights bodies to help resolve
the crisis in Al-Sadr City, Al-Sharqiyah reported. Al-Sadr Trend
lawmaker Liwa Sumaysim told the "Aswat al-Iraq" website in a May 6
interview that some political blocs are trying to block negotiations to
end the crisis, apparently a reference to the Shi'ite-led United Iraqi
Alliance. "There are some parties that were supposed to be a part of
the initiative and instead have succumbed to the pressures of
intensifying the crisis," he said. KR
[34] SENIOR AL-MAHDI ARMY COMMANDER REPORTEDLY KILLED IN IRAQ
Arkan al-Hasnawi, a battalion commander in the Al-Mahdi Army militia,
reportedly died on May 6 from wounds sustained during fighting in
Al-Sadr City the previous day, according to Iraqi media reports.
Al-Sharqiyah television described al-Hasnawi as the most important
wanted commander of the Iranian Qods Force's special groups. KR
End Note
[35] THERE IS NO END NOTE TODAY.
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